“Hi. My name is Julia.”
“Hi, Julia.” Lots of hands waving~~~
“I’m a raw milk drinker.”
Heads nod in understanding~~~
“For five long years, I’ve ingested raw milk products…butter made from raw milk, cheeses made from raw milk. Why, I’ve even drunk raw whole milk and put raw cream on my oatmeal.” Gasps from the crowd.
“I know the Feds are waging war against raw milk. But I can’t…” sob…”I can’t help myself. It’s just so…so…digestible.” Break down and bury face in hands.
According the the San Francisco Chronicle (hope the article will be available), an Amish farmer named Dan Allgyer has become the latest casualty in the war against raw milk. They’ve already hit my supplier, Organic Pastures. Next thing you know, they’ll send a swat team to take down the local Oreo Cows. Seriously, Oreo Cows - they live down the street from me.
The Feds claim it’s unsafe to drink raw milk. I’m not here to tell you to drink raw milk…I’m here to tell you that I want to drink raw milk and, as a consenting adult, I should have the right to do so without the interference of the FDA.
Here’s my sad story - As an infant, I was known far and wide as the hurler. My mother had children before it was cool to nurse, so of course she fed me a cow’s milk based formula. According to my father, as quick as I sucked that stuff down, it came back up and I could hurl it clear across the room. By the age of three months, mom had to take me off formula entirely and start me on rice cereal. I was the kid who never drank milk. I drank water. Could not even eat ice cream. No yogurt, no ice milk, no cottage cheese, although I could stomach some cheeses. No goat’s milk either, tastes like a damn goat. It’s a miracle I made it to 5’6″ without calcium in my diet - cuz I’m not fond of broccoli, spinach and other green leafy vegetables. Think of how tall I might be if I wasn’t lactose-intolerant!
Five years ago, while staying on a working ranch in Montana, I drank milk straight out of a cow. I mean, c’mon, I had to try it. Besides, if I puked it up, so what? It was a once in a lifetime experience. Low and behold, it didn’t make me sick. For ten days, I put cream in my coffee and milk on my oatmeal. Oh joy, rapture! Such a change from the soy milk I’d resorted to for far too many years. Although Silk ain’t bad, I’d so much rather have the real thing. Besides, I can’t stand Silk in coffee. Yuck.
As soon as I returned from the ranch, I began a quest for raw milk products, aside from cheese, and I found what I consider to be the best - Organic Pastures. I even make my own yogurt from it. While I still don’t drink a lot of milk, I use it in my coffee and on my cereal, and it gives me immense pleasure. The taste of raw milk is so much better than pasteurized, and the yogurt is fantastic. We’re talking a whole other animal here. No comparison.
Like I said, this is my choice - you don’t have to drink it. Raw milk and raw milk products are legal in California so I think the FDA needs to get off the backs of the producers. This isn’t an illicit drug. Yes, in the olden days, unpasteurized milk could contain a whole bunch of harmful bacteria. Remember studying Louie Pasteur? Pasteurization? But these days, a reputable dairy tests it’s cows for diseases and they are certified disease-free. Besides, I’ve made an informed decision. The risk, if there is one, is all mine.
I mean, how many of you refuse to taste chocolate chip cookie dough or brownie batter because they contain raw eggs? According to the FDA, eating anything containing raw or undercooked eggs can be dangerous. I’ve eaten that stuff all my life and nobody is going to stop me. I can’t imagine making chocolate chip cookies and not sampling the dough! And I love runny egg yolks!
Recent studies indicate that pasteurized and homogenized milk is not as healthy as we once assumed, while raw milk may be very healthy. http://bit.ly/9lN9sY and http://bit.ly/7Thj8z
In summary, thanks to raw milk, I can now drink milk, with impunity, I might add. Don’t take that away from me.
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I think you’re right. I used a lot of raw milk products growing up before the crack downs started. We never got sick. I was genuinely shocked to hear the Amish farmer was the victim of a raw milk “sting” operation.
To my ears this sounds like an extension of the failed lobby to ban farmer’s markets and roadside fruit and vegetable stands. Anything that threatens big agro is in the line of fire.
Arresting the Amish for low-tech farming? It’s that religious persecution?
XXOO Kat
No kidding, Kat! Going after the Amish farmer. When I think of the wasted money…for what? Talk about a victimless crime!
You should be able to drink what you want. Going after the Amish farmer was just wrong.
I think if people want to drink raw milk they should be able to. I don’t think they should tell you what you can or can’t drink..What’s next, they gonna tell you what you can’t eat…
No kidding, Amber. Poor guy!
Savannah - it is coming, believe me. I eat healthy, but once in a while I crave salt and vinegar potato chips. I’m afraid that one day, somebody will take away every single fun food because they are bad for us. Well…all things in moderation, but it’s still up to us.
Oh my gosh, well I guess I’m late because I had never heard that before. I only drink lactose free milk, but I know so many people who drank milk straight from the cow or a goat back in the Caribbean. Never heard of anyone getting ill from it. Way too many restrictions on things these days.
My husband drank milk straight from goats too, Delilah.
My sister can’t do any dairy. I wonder if she ever tried raw milk. I’ll have to mention it to her … before the option is totally gone. Sigh.
I already told you I think this is bullshit. Seriously they should try this here. Made everyone frown I told about this.
Let’s all together play in the dirt.
Why is it the more natural something is, the more “they” think it’s bad for you? Silly people.
Susi - I love how indignant you are! I agree, a little dirt isn’t a bad thing. I just don’t like our unusually dirty trains here!
Yes, Nina, silly. Spend the money on fixing our economic problems.
Interesting. What is it about pasteurized milk that upsets your stomach?
Apparently pasteurization destroys helpful bacteria and enzymes in the milk. Also destroys anti-oxidants.